Alternatives Unit Summary

The Ecstasy of St. Theresa by Bernini

Design movements tend to repeat themselves every other generation. This is because we desire to set ourselves apart from the previous generations in order to show that we have evolved. After the fall of the Roman Empire, Christianity went from being the alternative religion to the religion pronounced by kingdoms throughout the European world. Christianity and Catholicism especially proved a great influence over architecture of the middle ages as seen through cathedrals. During the middles ages the world was introduced to both Romanesque and Gothic architecture. Romanesque architecture evolved into Gothic, then history repeated with Greek and Roman revivals of the Renaissance. Romanesque cathedrals were characterized by many of the same elements that characterize Gothic architecture such as groin vaults, cross plans, and pointed arches. Arcades, arches, and statuettes were ideas translated from Rome into this transitional style of architecture between Rome and the middle ages. Romanesque, Gothic, and Renaissance architecture are connected through details and foundations in that details such as arches and columns were used throughout, and foundations such as cross plans are also found in each period. Each type of architecture was an alternative to its immediate predecessor.

Because mass was presented in Latin many people's religious experience was through the architecture of cathedrals. Stained glass and murals depicted religious stories such as the Crucifixion of Jesus. Michaelangelo's work for the Sistine Chapel which depicts a myriad of biblical stories and figures, may be the most well known of cathedral frescos. In addition, Bernini created a captivating sculpture, the Ecstacy of St. Theresa, for the Cornaro chapel which is a great example of story telling through imagery.

While some used literal imagery to inform the public about religion, cathedral architecture mimicked the idea of heaven as enormous and full of light. Architects of the time made cathedrals massive in scale and emphasized vertical elements and light more than anything else. Gothic Cathedrals such as Notre Dame of Amiens has breathtaking architectural details which mimic the idea of heaven. Patricks gothic cathedral website features the cathedral. The fourth image down of the vaulting at the cross depicts this exact notion of heaven in my opinion. The complexity of the vaulting also speaks to the complexity of the universe, God, and heaven itself.

Hierarchy is seen in these cathedrals where the alter is the most important place, raised up past the pews. Hierarchy of the members of the church can also be seen where the rich and most prominent people sit either in front or above the rest of the church members.
Moving on from Romanesque architecture the proceeding Gothic architecture of the middle ages can easily be found in castles. Flying buttresses, detailed wood and stonework, and dark heavy elements can describe Gothic architecture. Gothic Cathedrals however were full of light and rather than the dark and heavy architecture we imagine stone castles to be made of. The main differences are that the function and context of each piece of architecture. Castles were dwellings for Royalty and housed the main functions for government and the kingdom itself. They needed to be indestructable as to keep enemies from destroying the kingdom. They also needed to protect the King, therefore castles had many secret passages and were built with heavy stone elements. Cathedrals on the other hand, although strong, were not built to withstand battles. They were built for the communities worship and the display of the wealthy and religious.